This is not a rant, but I'm not completely joking either.
There's not a single tacky or trashy (except the bum), or ugly woman in this movie. You have a cute smart Asian-American girl (Lisa, the translator), cute nerdy girl with glasses, wearing jeans (the radiologist), beautiful introvert with hazel/radish hair and cat-like green eyes and the happy-go-lucky insecure blond. And non of these people is a super model, or had tone of make up. Just naturally cute, attractive and pretty women.
Carpenter just knew how to pick people with natural looks and charisma.
Sadly however, I think it has more to do with us, than anything else. Just like my father, and his father before him, the generations have different tastes. I find the women are currently more bland looking, and just generically pretty unlike the extremely unique and striking looks of 80's women. I feel the same way about music, and cars too. Science has kind of proven that as we age, our tastes stagnate because of the way our brains handle dopamine later in life. So although to us these things seem more attractive, to the younger generations they find our stuff much less appealing. It's extremely weird, but it has to be true or it simply wouldn't sell. Like most main stream hip hop...I don't know how it sells, to me it's SO BAD. But they love it.
Now, if you happen to be a youngster, you are a rare breed and I feel badly for you.
Hehe. I suppose you're right, most of it is in the eye of the beholder, with some exceptions to the rule. To me, women of the sixties and seventies were the most beautiful. I also agree with a former poster: John Carpenter knows how to choose actors and actresses who have natural beauty and charisma.
-I don;t discriminate between entertainment and arthouse. A film is a goddam film.-
I agree, from my media indulgences of the 60s and 70s I have to say women looked so much more beautiful with their hair styles, fashions, curves, and the lack of implants + plastic surgery. Everything about them was doused in natural beauty.
Something about those big hair 80's hairdo's of women thrills me too! Watch the video "Centerfold" (J. Geils Band) & you'll see a lot of it. Lisa Blount was truly one knock out of that time period. Such a shame to lose her so early on.
I loved 80's girls cuz of all the big hair and make up and shoulder pads and their generally slutty look. Now, they all look like lesbians (see:'Hipster, Female'). I LOOOVE the 80's!
Yes they were... Maybe it's because they had class and didn't just throw their panties off for everyone. I mean there's always been sluts, but today it's an epidemic. Knowing a woman is that way is a turn-off to me if I am considering her complete beauty. I think that has a bit to do with it.